Brazilian Direct Ltd. Accredited Better Business Bureau (A+ rating after 10 years) since registering our business with BBB 10 years ago (since 8/19/2004) we have an A+ rating with BBB. We have had 0 complaints in the past 12 months and 1 complaint with BBB In the last 3 years. A total of 6 resolved complaints in 10 years!

For an industry comparison, as of February 2015 (Lumber Liquidators BBB accredited since (10/04/2004) Lumber Liquidators also an A+ (not sure how). They have 273 complaints in the past 12 months and 612 complaints with BBB over the last 3 years.

Internationally-recognized organizations that “aim to promote and foster the highest ethical relationship between business and the public through voluntary self-regulation, consumer and business education, and service excellence”

What do the BBBs do?

“BBBs are committed to the belief that the majority of marketplace problems can be corrected through voluntary self-regulation. We champion the cause of consumers and hold businesses accountable to the highest standards of honesty in their advertising and selling”

“BBB Accredited Businesses are businesses and firms which meet tough accreditation standards, agree to follow the highest principles of business ethics and voluntary self-regulation, and have accepted an invitation from us to join.”

“BBB Accredited Businesses are subject to the same scrutiny we give all businesses. Staunchly neutral, we provide reports on a business’ general background and consumer complaint history, if any. These reports cover accredited and non-accredited businesses alike.”

Wherever you decide to purchase your flooring, it is vital for you to know how the grade of lumber will affect your overall flooring project. Clear grade offers the highest quality, the longest lengths and the most consistent color in exotic/tropical hardwood. Lower grades of hardwood flooring will create wild variations in color, and actually cost you money & time due to longer installation cost. The clarity or quality of the lumber (Clear Grade) is key to highest quality hardwood floor.

We offer Premium/A (Clear) Grade flooring 97% of the time. This means that your floor will:

Have longer length boards, random 1-7 ft

Demonstrate greater color consistency, without sacrificing character or grain

Not require more than 7-8% waste to finish your project

I added the definitions of the grades below, too. Let me know if you have any questions!

All of our flooring at Brazilian Direct Ltd. is Premium/A grade flooring. Advantages of using Premium/A grade flooring over select grade include longer average lengths, less color variation from board to board, and less waste requirement.

Brazilian Direct does carry straight-grain flooring as well. Straight-grain or quarter-sawn flooring is only available in unfinished Brazilian Cherry and Santos Mahogany. We recommend this floor specifically for radiant heat application.

Brazilian Direct does not offer select-grade flooring. Brazilian Direct discourages the sale of select-grade flooring due to quality issues.

Quarter-sawn or straight-grain flooring is a slightly different cut of hardwood flooring than clear grade. It has the same features as clear grade; however, it is cut so all grain runs vertically. This minimizes the risk of horizontal board expansion, making Quartersawn the only choice for radiant heat applications. This premium cut will carry a higher price.

Premium/A Grade (Clear) is the highest grade of hardwood flooring available for that species. It offers the minimum number of character marks and discoloration, providing a uniform appearance while allowing for natural color variations. Premium/A grade flooring has the longest average board lengths as well as the highest quality milling. Our average clear grade board length is 38.5″.

Select & Better grade flooring (S & B) is a ranking assigned by some mills in Brazil indicating the highest grade of flooring they offer. S & B offers the minimum number of character marks and discoloration, providing a uniform appearance while allowing for natural color variations. S & B grade flooring is synonymous with longer average board lengths as well as exceptional quality milling. Our average S & B grade board length is 35-37″.

Select-grade flooring (not offered) is a lower grade of flooring than clear grade. It has more character marks and possible discoloration, creating a less uniform appearance. Small knots and some imperfections in face work are acceptable. A typical average length for select grade flooring is 28″.

After 30 years of hardwood industry experience, I must say I have never been so disappointed with the market to which I have dedicated half my life.

It is not hard to see that the market has shifted. While economic change is inevitable in any market, ours has taken a turn for the worse. We now live in a marketing age full of Lumber Liquidators and Empire Today ads. Liquidators have misled many into believing Select Grade* (a low grade) is the best grade and is comparable to Clear. Empire Today promotes next day installation while, in reality, 95% of all quality ¾” hardwood flooring should acclimate in the house for 1 or 2 weeks prior to installation.

Moreover, lots of imports from China (dried to 10-11% not 7-8%) with random lengths from 1-4 feet have become commonplace and increasingly popular. Such short board lengths often results in a choppy, overly systematic, and jigsaw puzzle-esque final floor that belies the natural, organic, and exotic appearance that used to be the very quintessence of hardwood flooring. Indeed, solid Clear Grade 3/4” flooring with long random lengths 1-7 feet has been replaced with 5/16” – 3/8” or even 1/2” or Formica floors with lengths 1-4 feet.

I stress that not all homes can be treated equal when it comes to hardwood installation. A house in Florida must be treated very different from a house in Massachusetts; while FL has year-round warm weather, MA floors are exposed to a six month, hot forced air heating season from HVAC systems. Yet these factors – and many others such as application, geographic region, and grade – are often neglected and flooring is installed on the sole criterion of price. While this may be cost-efficient and convenient in the short-run, it is much less certain whether this flooring format will last or IF such floors should be installed in the first place.

Finally, Floating & Click floors with paltry .06 mm, 1.0 mm, 1.6mm up to 3.0mm face (thickness of wood on the top) that are designed for below grade or over concrete, are being installed 1st & 2nd floor and could literally fail in less than 5 years.

Lower prices and uniform-across-the-country installation methodology is appealing but did anyone ever ask the costumer IF he/she actually wanted the flooring to work?

Internationally-recognized organizations that “aim to promote and foster the highest ethical relationship between business and the public through voluntary self-regulation, consumer and business education, and service excellence”

What do the BBBs do?

“BBBs are committed to the belief that the majority of marketplace problems can be corrected through voluntary self-regulation. We champion the cause of consumers and hold businesses accountable to the highest standards of honesty in their advertising and selling”

“BBB Accredited Businesses are businesses and firms which meet tough accreditation standards, agree to follow the highest principles of business ethics and voluntary self-regulation, and have accepted an invitation from us to join.”

“BBB Accredited Businesses are subject to the same scrutiny we give all businesses. Staunchly neutral, we provide reports on a business’ general background and consumer complaint history, if any. These reports cover accredited and non-accredited businesses alike.”

Since registering our business with BBB 10 years ago (BrazilianDirect Ltd. has been BBB accredited since 8/19/2004) Brazilian Direct Ltd. has an A+ rating with BBB. We have had 0 complaints in the past 12 months and 1 complaint with BBB In the last 3 years. A total of 6 resolved complaints in 10 year!!!

For an industry comparison, as of November 2014 (Lumber Liquidators BBB accredited since (10/04/2004) Lumber Liquidators also an A+ (not sure how). They have 276 complaints in the past 12 months and 598 complaints with BBB over the last 3 years.

Searching for the perfect, long-lasting, low maintenance finishing system for high traffic exotic hardwood floors? We have the answer – a penetrating commercial system with no surface coating.

The Dura seal (mostly natural but available in colors) is applied and burnished in with steel wool or red polishing and buffer. The application includes penetration, color, sealer, friction to dry sealer and protection – so nothing spilled will penetrate wood.

The 2nd part of this system was Renovator – a cleaner, sealer, and for color if needed you could add 25% stain (to re-stain areas ). Due to tighter regulations for V.O.C.’s, Renovator is no longer available. The good news, however, is that the same maintenance can still be accomplished. Installers can legally make their own safe alternative using a 50-60% odorless mineral spirits and 40-50% DuraSeal Natural or DuraSeal Stain/Sealer to add color to a stained floor.

To renew the floor, unlike a sand and refinish with traditional finishes, a night crew could spray buff, or mop on burnish (with steel wool or a red polishing pad) with no downtime for the establishment. This system has been tested in shopping malls, clothing stores, and restaurants.

In the end this commercial application will outlast and outperform all others. It’s a system tested for over 30 years old and still standing strong. The wood will not wear out like polyurethane finishes – especially with exotic hardwoods 2x or 3x harder than domestic oak.

Contact us today to learn more about the perfect finishing system for exotic floors high-traffic commercial spaces.

March Madness is the norm. This madness, however, is not unique to college basketball; such madness is also present in the hardwood flooring industry.

After 30 years of hardwood industry experience, I must say I have never been so disappointed with the market to which I have dedicated half my life.

It is not hard to see that the market has shifted. While economic change is inevitable in any market, ours has taken a turn for the worse. We now live in a marketing age full of Lumber Liquidators and Empire Today ads. Liquidators has misled many into believing Select Grade* (a low grade) is the best grade and is comparable to Clear. Empire Today promotes next day installation while, in reality, 95% of all quality ¾” hardwood flooring should acclimate in the house for 1 or 2 weeks prior to installation.

Penetrating Commercial Hardwood Floor Finishing System

Searching for the perfect, long-lasting, low maintenance commercial hardwood floor finish system for high traffic exotic hardwood floors? We have the answer: a penetrating commercial system with no film coating. Continue reading →